The Trial Grounds and the Bloodlusts

A cacophony of crunching sounds.

The sounds of voracious feasting reverberated through the otherwise silent street.

Xiu Lan stood with her arms crossed, her expression a mix of resignation and exasperation as she watched the monstrous figure devour its meal with savage haste.

‘Brother, your table manners are truly appalling.’

Having tossed the deceased monster to the werewolf, Xiu Lan watched as he plunged into an uncontrollable frenzy, tearing at the gruesome banquet with both hands and feet.

“Um… is he alright?”

A timid whisper emanated from behind Xiu Lan, where a woman clad in black robes cowered, evidently unnerved by the gory spectacle unfolding before them.

“There’s no problem. This werewolf is clearly distinct from the other monsters; he seems to retain a portion of his human consciousness. Besides, wasn’t it his intervention that allowed you to escape earlier?”

“Is… is that right?”

“Let’s set him aside for a moment. My name is Xiu Lan; what should I call you?”

“I… I…” The woman stammered, her words faltering under Xiu Lan’s questioning gaze.

A clear male voice broke in, answering for her:

“Her name is [Robin].”

‘Robin?’

‘I feel like I’ve heard that name before.’ Xiu Lan’s thoughts were interrupted as she realized the source of the voice. Turning to where the sound had originated, she saw that the werewolf had already finished his meal.

All the wounds that had marred his body were now gone, his formerly crimson fur having transformed to a pristine white, as though he had just emerged from a cleansing shower. Even his speech, she noted, was remarkably clearer.

‘Such potent nourishment!’ Xiu Lan felt a pang of regret for not having kept half of the monster for herself.

“She is Robin of the [Gray-White Hunter]. I can distinctly smell her scent; I would recognize her even if she were reduced to ash.”

The now-white werewolf stepped before Xiu Lan, his gaze fixed intently on the woman behind her—the one known as [Robin].

“Ah, I remember now. That unscrupulous reporter Villy mentioned to me.”

“What do you mean ‘unscrupulous reporter’? I merely report on societal issues.”

Stung by the accusation, the woman behind Xiu Lan retorted, her hand lightly slapping Xiu Lan’s shoulder.

“So, you truly are this ‘Robin’?”

Xiu Lan spun around, swiftly pulling back the woman’s hood to reveal a pair of wide, shocked eyes and a protective mask beneath.

‘Tsk, what extreme caution.’

“You, you, you, you…”

Robin sputtered, trying to articulate something coherent, but the sheer terror of almost being exposed made her tremble uncontrollably. Her hands clutched at Xiu Lan’s black greatcoat, yet this armor, forged from shadows, proved utterly immovable.

‘Thinking of exposing me? Heh.’

“My career, my entire life, utterly obliterated by you. And now, look at me—transformed into this grotesque, inhuman aberration.”

The playful altercation, however, failed to perturb the werewolf standing nearby.

He remained lost in his own turbulent emotions, his sharp claws scraping continuously, a grating sound that seemed to mirror his inner turmoil. What he intended to do was painfully obvious to all three of them.

“But you just saved her.”

“That was only because I hadn’t recognized her.”

Xiu Lan met the werewolf’s gaze, finding his eyes clouded and bewildered. The young woman longed to utter words that might dissuade him, yet her limited life experience offered no suitable counsel.

‘If [Vanguard] were here, she would undoubtedly devise a solution satisfactory to all, for she is a true hero,’ Xiu Lan mused.

Alas, it was not that flawless public idol who stood there, but merely an ignorant girl, endowed with power yet lacking wisdom.

No profound truths or eloquent arguments came to her.

“I do not want you to kill her.”

‘Nor do I wish to kill you.’

“I understand.”

As if a great weight had been lifted, the werewolf, contrary to Xiu Lan’s fearful expectations of a sudden outburst, merely turned silently, appearing ready to depart.

“Wait, wait, wait… where are you off to? You still owe me a meal. Hold on, let’s talk.”

“…….”

The werewolf, who had taken but a few steps, silently turned back once more.

****

****

“This is the so-called Trial Grounds, a world accessible only to Bloodlusts and Vampires.”

Having unceremoniously commandeered a house within the residential district, the three now found themselves holding a makeshift meeting in the living room.

Whether it was simply due to a full stomach, the werewolf had shed his earlier ferocity, now exuding an air of cultured elegance that, when juxtaposed with his monstrous form, created an unsettling, indescribable strangeness.

Pouring himself a glass of water, the werewolf continued, “Let me preface this by saying everything I relay comes directly from the [Rules]. Do not ask me what the [Rules] are.”

Robin quietly lowered the hand she had barely begun to raise. She had since shed her black robes, revealing a chest so utterly flat that its development lagged far behind even Xiu Lan’s, whose own physique was, perhaps, more akin to a male’s (?).

Regrettably, the mask remained firmly in place, signaling her intent to preserve her enigmatic aura to the very end. She did, however, declare that she would only remove her mask if Xiu Lan first shed her own attire.

‘Crazy! Who cares what you look like anyway?’

‘Hmph!’

“First, let me introduce the unique category of [Bloodlusts] (TL Note: A term for individuals undergoing a vampiric transformation after consuming a specific inhibitor). These individuals have ingested a specialized inhibitor, initiating a transformation into [Vampires] based on their inherent qualities, the dosage of the drug, and other contributing factors.”

At this stage, these [Bloodlusts] can be referred to as ‘Transients’.

‘As I suspected, [Vampires] are linked to these [Inhibitors].’

“Upon becoming [Vampires], [Bloodlusts] experience a significant boost in physical prowess. However, this comes with an unquenchable thirst. Unlike [Bloodlusts] who are unable to consume blood, [Vampires] can only alleviate this craving through relentless hunting.”

‘A wolf’s muzzle, it seemed, wasn’t quite suited for drinking water in such a manner.’

A faint amusement stirred within Xiu Lan as she watched the werewolf awkwardly attempt to fit his elongated muzzle into the small cup to drink.

Unaware of Xiu Lan’s silent jest, the werewolf continued his explanation: “However, ordinary blood cannot sate this hunger. Only the blood of fellow Vampires or [Bloodlusts] who have consumed the specialized inhibitor can truly fill this void.”

“As for what a Vampire becomes after devouring enough of its own kind… I do not know. Perhaps it’s an escape from this purgatory, or perhaps it’s a transformation into an even more terrifying monster.”

‘I see.’ So, [Bloodlusts], by consuming the bloodline potion, transform into Transients—a state akin to a preliminary stage of vampirism.

They serve as both Vampire recruits and their blood bags. The only way to escape this bottom rung of the food chain is to become a Vampire themselves. This place, rather than a Trial Grounds, felt more like a laboratory.

A vast number of experiments, all aimed at discovering a stable method for creating Vampires.

There remained one crucial question. Xiu Lan rose to her feet and turned to Robin: “Are you a [Bloodlust] as well?”

“……”

“I am a genuine [Bloodlust], which is why I’m here. The werewolf is a Vampire, so naturally, he’s here too. But what about you? Are you an ordinary person who stumbled in, or a [Bloodlust] like me?”

“I… I am also a [Bloodlust]. I have been one from the very beginning.”

At some point, Robin had donned her black robes once more, her voice gravely subdued.

“Is that so? Then I understand.”

‘No wonder she was able to capture photographs of all sorts of illicit transactions; she herself was a participant in those dealings. Perhaps she was even present on the night Huang Siying committed that robbery.’

The sheer diversity of human nature always left one bewildered. Xiu Lan neither understood nor wished to understand. She swiftly bypassed the topic, stating:

“Let’s go explore. Perhaps we can find some clues.”

Then,

the world transformed.

The living room where the three of them had been suddenly gave way to a street lined with towering skyscrapers. Immediately, screams of terror erupted, punctuated by the sounds of monsters devouring, and…

Xiu Lan surveyed her surroundings. Scattered sparsely across the street were several Vampires.

The trio’s sudden appearance instantly diverted the attention of these previously wary creatures, their crimson eyes now fixed upon Xiu Lan and her companions.

“The [Rules] state: half the world has been abandoned. We were teleported here.”

The werewolf’s voice informed them of their current predicament.

“This is truly… Hold tight to me!”

Clasping Robin’s hand in her left, Xiu Lan cautiously observed the Vampires forming a围圈. While their numbers held little meaning for her personally, the capabilities of Robin and the werewolf necessitated extreme vigilance.

“Let’s break through first.”

With a single punch, Xiu Lan sent an approaching monster flying, then led the two of them sprinting out of the encirclement.